Water resources are a fundamental factor essential for livelihoods and driving the global economy, with “watershed forests” in mountainous region serving as an ecological water allocation process. They absorb and store rainwater in the soil pore space before gradually releasing it into tributary streams to sustain agricultural areas and communities. This research aims to develop Bio-Seed Balls, a biological material to enhance water absorption for seed germination and survival in watershed forest restoration.
The research was conducted by determining the ratio of Bio-Seed Balls, using a Tapioca starch paste mixed with coconut coir dried vetiver grass leaves and vermicompost, encapsulating the desired plant seeds, and comparing them with Traditional Seed Balls made from clay mixed with coconut coir and vermicompost. Experiment, analyses, and comparisons of Seed Ball performance were carried out.
The study of the physical characteristics of Seed balls, using the CU Smart Lens for material structure inspection, revealed that the Bio-Seed Balls formula has a fibrous and porous structure distributed throughout the ball, which aids in water retention and gas diffusion within the Seed balls. This differs from the traditional formula, which has a fine and dense texture.
The water absorption test showed that Bio-Seed Balls absorbed 107.6% of their dry weight. The traditional formula absorbed 22.2% of its dry weight. Regarding moisture loss, Bio-Seed Balls had a moisture loss of 44.55% and a moisture loss rate of 1.40 grams per hour, which is faster and higher than the traditional Seed balls formula, which had a moisture loss of 11.14% and a moisture loss rate of 0.40 grams per hour.
Germination tests on five wild tree species showed that Bio-Seed Balls had higher germination rates than traditional Seed Balls for all species. Specifically, False koa (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) the highest germination rate at 75.00%, followed by Yang (Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. ex G.Don) at 55.56%, Burma padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz) at 44.44%, Black rosewood (Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib) 41.67%, and Wild Himalayan Cherry (Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) at 30.00%. All of which are native species. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that Bio-Seed Balls can enhance seed germination more effectively than traditional formula.
For the firing range test, it was found that the 4 cm diameter Bio-Seed Balls achieved an average maximum distance of 31.9 meters. Their greater mass generates higher momentum and inertia, which helps resist air resistance and allows them to travel farther horizontally. Regarding structural integrity after ground impact, all balls remained intact.
After evaluating Bio-Seed Balls effectiveness and user experience satisfaction through a questionnaire by 94 people in community, the satisfaction level with the Bio-Seed Balls were rated “Excellent” in all aspects with lower cost only 0.8 USD/100 units. This confirms that this innovation makes reforestation simple and truly accessible, giving the community confidence and willingness to participate sustainably in restoring ecosystems and water resources.
The innovative product also supports SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15 and slogan “Protect the watershed forests, nurture the trees and conserve the water”.
